The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for receiving a tire, especially for measuring or checking the concentricity or correct contour of a pneumatic vehicle tire that during operation has its bead regions mounted on the radially inner periphery of a wheel rim. A test rim is provided that receives the axially outer bead zones of a tire that is to be checked.
The concentricity of conventional tires, the beads of which are disposed on the radially outer periphery of a rim, is checked by means of a two-part test rim that is disposed against the tire from the outside. In so doing, the two test rim parts that are axially movable relative to one another receive the tire on bead-seating surfaces in the same manner as the vehicle tire is mounted during driving operation. With the newly developed tire/rim system, such as disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift 30 00 428, where the beads of the tire are disposed on the radially inner periphery of the rim, the problem exists that the test rim must be introduced into the interior of the tire, although it has a greater diameter than the inner diameter of the tire.
To accomplish this, it was proposed in German Offenlegungsschrift 35 41 188 to construct the axially displaceable rim ring sections of several radially adjustable rim segments. In the radially drawn-together state, i.e. with a reduced diameter, such a test rim can be introduced into the tire, which has a smaller inner diameter, and can then be moved apart into the checking position. However, the problem with this is that the interior of the tire must be sealed off and the sidewalls of the tire must be moved out of their trapezoidal form, in which they are heated, into the mounting state.
For this reason, German patent application P 36 04 023.1 proposes checking the concentricity of such a tire in the position where its sidewalls and bead regions are folded laterally outwardly, i.e. in the position in which the tire is heated. However, with such an apparatus the actual operating conditions can be reproduced only to a limited extent, and one is still left with the desire to be able to check tires in their actual mounting position.
It therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus with which tires of the aformentioned type can be checked in the mounting position.